Furnace charging apparatus



July 21, 1931. H. o. COOK ET AL FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18. 1930 2 SheetsSheet 1 19112970507 flan/4E0 0. COOK a/r/ .N V m July 21, 1931. H. D. COOK ET AL FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 18, 1930 [men/507's:

d W m T 0 T W C5 J 0% Y a W4 W/ Patented July 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OOFFICET HOWARD D. COOK, OF ELYRIA, AND WILLIAM L. SCOTT, OF LORAIN, OHIO FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUS This invention relates to apparatus for automatically charging billet heating furnaces and for delivering the heated billets to the rolling mill at predetermined intervals I 2'5]- of time. 7 i

It is among the objects of this invention to provide simple and automatic control for pusher mechanism which shall be adapted to charge billets at predetermined timed intervals in accordance with the number of pieces it is desired to heat and roll in a given time and which shall be adapted for adjustment to vary the timed intervals to increase or decrease the number of pieces handled in a given period of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide automatic apparatus of the above desig- .nated character which shall be adapted for .1 delivering billets to the mill at a uniform :120 and accurate rate and which shall be positive in its operation of charging the billets in accordance with the speed of the operating mechanism.

These and other objects will become more apparent from a consideration of theaccom- (I panying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which Figure 1 is adiagrammatic view of a mechanism for charging billets embodying the principles of this invention and Figure 2 is a wiring diagram of the control mechanism utilized in automatically controlling the operation of the pusher mechanism of Figure 1. With reference to the drawings, reference numeral 1 designates the billets which are 1 shown mounted in rows and being advanced, step-by-step on a furnace skid pipe 2. The billets are charged by a pusher mechanism 3 comprising a lever 3, the upper-end 4 of which is adapted to engage the billets, and having its lower end pivotally connected at ,5'to a connecting rod 6 which is operated through a motor operated crank shaft 7. V The operation of the charging mechanism is such that the billets 1, when charged in the path of the pusher 4, are successively advanced a predetermined distance by the pivotalmotion of the-lever 3 about its pivotal support 8 through the oscillating motion of Application filed November 18, 1930. Serial No. 496,530.

the connecting rod effected by the crank shaft 7.

To render the charger operative at predetermined intervals of time, the mechanism shown in Figure 2 is employed and consists. of a timing device comprising a disk 9 having a pin 10 for closing contacts 11 and 12 of a connection 13 in an electric circuit. The

. disk 9 is rotated by a motor 14 through a reduction gear 15 which is adjustable to vary,,60 the speed of the disk 9 and consequently the rate at which the contacts 11 and 12 are closed by pin 10. The timer motor 14 is electrically connected to a negative and positive circuit 16 and 17, respectively, the motor be-, ing connected or disconnected from the circuit by a main switch 18. The control circuit of the charging motor which is generally designated at 19 is closed by a switch 20 in the connection 13 and the charging motor circuit, is opened by the limit switch generally des ignated at 21. The limit switch comprises a movable arm 22 that is actuated by the crank shaft 7 and switch terminals 23-24 and 23-24, the terminals 23 and-23 being con -.1 nected through the conductor 25 to the contacts 11 and 12 and terminals 24 and 24 are connected through a conductor 26 to the negative circuit 16 of the power line. The pusher motor 19 is connected by conductor- 27 to the positive circuit 17 of the power line.

When the line switch 20 is in closed position and the timing device closes contacts 11 and 12, the circuit 13 is energized thereby energizing the magnet coils of contactors 28.3 and 29 and also energizing the positive contact 30. r

The contactor 28 operates a pair of contacts 31 and 32 which are normally urged in their closed position by a spring (not shown). When the coil of contactor is energized the contacts 31 and 32 are opened andwhen the contactor 28 is deenergized the contacts 31 and 32 are closed by action of the spring. Since the contacts 11 and 12 are closed only momentarily, the contactors 28, 29, 30 would become deenergized and to prevent this, a circuit connection 33 is provided which, through auxiliary contacts 34 and '35. maintains contactors 28, 29.and 30 in thepower circuit aft-er contacts 11 and 12 have been broken.

The contacts 34 and 35 of the auxiliary circuit are established through the magnet coil of the contactor 28 becoming energized, and similarly, the magnet coil of the contactor 29 electrically connects auxiliary contacts 36 and 37, which through a relay 38 control the circuit of a contact 39. The magnet coil of contactor 29 closes a pair of contacts 40 and 41, establishing connection with the positive connection of the main power circuit and when contacts 40 and 41 are closing, relay 38 is energized to establish a circuit through the auxiliary contacts 36 and 37 with the magnet coil of the contactor 39.

Similarly, contact-or 39 controls contacts 42 and 43 which when closed energize a relay -14 that connects the magnet coil. of a contactor 45 with the power circuit through contacts 46, 4F, and the contactor in turn controls contacts 48 and 49, which when closed, energize the relay 50 that closes contacts 51 and 52 to connect the magnet coil of a contactor 53 with the positive line of the power circuit and the latter closes contacts 54 and 55 to establish a connection of the power circuit with the windings of the armature 56 of the pusher motor 19, The contacts and relays just described operate to disconnect resistances 57, 58 and 59 in the motor circuit.

The operation of the automatic pusher mechanism is briefly as follows: Assuming that the main switch 18 is in its closed position, the timer motor 14 will be energized and operate controls to rotate the disk 9 at a predetermined speed in accordance with the adjustment provided through speed regulation mechanism 15 to close the contacts 11 and 12 at predetermined intervals. When the mill is ready to roll, one of the roll crew closes switch 20 which is conveniently located for that purpose and magnet coils of contactors 28 and 29 are energized thereby opening contacts 31 and 32 and closing contacts 40 and ll. The limit switch is in the position shown in the drawings with the 0011 tacts of the movable arm 22 in engagement with the terminals and 24, thereby closing the circuit 2526. The pusher motor is immediately energized through its connection thus made with the negative and positive cir cuits of the power line, the connection being through the series shunt field resistance to the main circuit 16 and from the motor armature windings through the circuit 17 connecting with 17", thence through the resistances 575859 and through relay 38, through the closed contacts 40- 11, the posi- 'tive contactor 30 to the main line 17.

When the contactors 39, 45 and become energized through their respective relays, the resistances 57 5859 are automatically cut out thus bringing the motor up to its maximum speed. When the pusher arm 3 has advanced its maximum distance the arm 22 of the limit switch is operated through the crank shaft 7 of the pusher mechanism and will break its contacts with the terminals 2324, opening the circuit 25-26, thereby breaking the circuit of the magnet coil of contactor 28, immediately releasing the contacts 31-32 which short circuits the armature 56 of the pusher motor bringing it to a quick stop.

As the arm 22 of the limit switch moves out of contact with the terminals 23-24, a spring'causes the arm 22 to bridge the terminals 2.3-2- l thus placing the limit switch in position to complete the necessary circuit when the timer disk 9 again closes contacts 11 and 12, whereby the operation of the pusher motor is again repeated.

lVhen the requisite number of billets have'"85 been charged to the mill, the switch 20 is open and the control mechanism is rendered inoperative.

VJ hen it is desired to vary the time intervals of operation of the timing device, the 30 gear reduction adjustment is made in a well known manner to vary the speed of rotation of the disk 9 to either increase or decrease the speed at which the contacts 11 and 12 are closed thereby obtaining accurate and posilifi tive control. of the feeding of billets at a uniform and predetermined rate of speed.

By means of the apparatus herein described, it is possible to eliminate an operator at the skelp mill at a substantial savingfioo as well as obtaining precise timing of the movement of billets.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

Vi e claim:

1. An automatic controller for billet charg ing mechanism comprising a motor for the pusher mechanism, a control circuit for said motor, a timer for periodically closing said circuit, and a limit switch operable by said motor for breaking said circuit.

2. An automatic controller for billet charging mechanism comprising a motor for the pusher mechanism, a control circuit for said motor, a timer for periodically closing said circuit, and a limit switch for breaking the circuit, and means for short circuiting the armature of the pusher motor when said limit switch has moved to its open circuit position.

3. Anautomatie controller for billet charg mg mechanism comprising a motor for the pusher mechanism, a control circuit for said motor, a timer for periodically closing said circuit, and a limit switch for breaking the. circuit, motor starting resistors connected in "a iii said circuit, and means for automatically cutting out said resistors to bring the pusher motor up to maximum speed.

4. Apparatus for charging billets at predetermined timed intervals comprising a pusher arm, a motor operating said arm, a

control circuit for said motor, a timing mechanism for closing said circuit at predetermined intervals, a limit switchwoperable by said motor to open said circuit, means for controlling the speed of the pusher motor and means for bringing said motor to a sudden stop when the limit switch is moved to open position.

5. Apparatus for charging billets at predetermined timed intervals comprising a pusher arm, a motor operating said arm, a control circuit for said motor, a timing mechanism for closing said circuit at predetermined intervals, a limit switch operable by said motor to open said circuit, and adjustable means for regulatin the timing mechanism to vary the speed 0 the pusher.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

HOWARD D. COOK. WILLIAM L. SCOTT. 

